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Treasury Targets Money Exchange House Operator for Supporting the Taliban

2/26/2013

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Action
Targets Financing Linked to a Designated Hawala and the Taliban Narcotics Trade

WASHINGTON – The
U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated Mullah Ahmed Shah Noorzai
(Ahmed Shah) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists
and their supporters. Ahmed Shah owns and operates the UN-designated Roshan
Money Exchange (RMX), which was previously designated in June 2012 pursuant to
E.O. 13224 for providing financial services to the Taliban. RMX stores and
transfers funds and profits in support of Taliban military operations as well
as the Taliban's role in the Afghan narcotics trade. As of 2011,
RMX was one of the primary hawalas, or money exchange houses, used by Taliban
members to support their narcotics operations based in the Helmand Province,
Afghanistan. Today, the United Nations also added Ahmed Shah to its 1988 List
of individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with the Taliban
which constitute a threat to the peace, stability and security of Afghanistan.

“We will continue to target
financial activity linked to the Taliban as they increasingly turn to exchange
houses to fund their continued violence,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism
and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen. “These financial networks are
instrumental in funneling money for terrorist operations and they are also
deeply involved in managing the illicit revenues of the Taliban’s vast
narcotics trade.”

Ahmed Shah has provided hawala
services to Taliban leaders in Helmand Province for a number of years and, as
of 2011, was a trusted Taliban hawaladar (hawala operator). In early 2012, the
Taliban ordered Ahmed Shah to transfer money to a number of hawalas in Lashkar
Gah, Helmand Province, from which a senior Taliban commander would then allocate
the funds.

In late 2011, Ahmed Shah
consolidated hundreds of thousands of dollars to pass to the Taliban Finance
Commission and transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Taliban,
including to senior Taliban commanders. Also in late 2011, Ahmed Shah received
through his hawala branch in Quetta a transfer on behalf of the Taliban, money
from which was used to purchase fertilizer and IED components, including
batteries and detonator cord.

In mid-2011, the head of the
Taliban finance commission, Gul Agha, who was designated in July 2010 for
acting for or on behalf of the Taliban, instructed Ahmed Shah to deposit
several million dollars into his hawala for the Taliban. Gul Agha explained
that when a money transfer was required, he would inform Ahmed Shah of the
Taliban recipient. Ahmed Shah would then provide the required funds through his
hawala system. As of mid-2010, Ahmed Shah moved money between Pakistan and
Afghanistan for Taliban commanders and for narcotics traffickers. In addition to
his facilitation activities, Ahmed Shah also donated large but unspecified sums
of money to the Taliban in 2011.

Identifying Information

Name: Mullah Ahmed Shah
Noorzai

AKA: Haji Ahmad Shah

AKA: Haji Mullah Ahmad Shah

AKA

: Maulawi Ahmed Shah

AKA: Mullah Mohammed Shah

DOB: 1 January 1985

Alt. DOB: 1981

POB: Quetta, Pakistan

National Identity Number:
5440122880259 (Pakistan)

Passport: NC5140251 (Pakistan)

Passport Date of Issue: 23 October
2009

Passport Date of Expiry: 22 October
2014

Residence: Quetta, Pakistan

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